Jerry T. Thornthwaite, Ph.D.

Dr. Jerry Thornthwaite, a native of Huntsville, Alabama, received his Bachelor's Degree in chemistry from David Lipscomb in Nashville, Tennessee and his Masters and Doctorate in Chemistry from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. He was the recipient of the NIH Fellowship, Damon Runyan-Walter Winchell Fellowship and the National American Cancer Society Fellowship.

His Doctoral Program in Chemistry had an emphasis in biophysics. He has performed extensive research in the fields of instrumentation, reagents and clinical applications in flow cytometry, image analysis and luminometry, including immunological, biochemical and biophysical properties of cells and their characterization from solid tumors for receptor assays and monoclonal antibody production against breast cancer.

He discovered the Natural Killer Cell in 1971, which has now become the cornerstone for our surveillance defense mechanism against the survival of cancer cells. His research accomplishments include the development of continuous bovine serum albumin gradient centrifugation which was used to successfully perform a bone marrow transplant on a 12 year old boy, a record for older age children in 1971. In 1980, He discovered that a simple, DNA measurement in breast cancer tissue could predict survival, thus prescribing the treatment of cancer patients. This test is routinely being used in hospitals for the formulation of treatment of a variety of cancers. Dr. Thornthwaite has worked with NASA on the flow cytometer for the Space Station Freedom and is currently developing laser, optic and instrument technologies for biologic warfare detection for the Army. He founded two successful Oncology Laboratories at Cedars Medical Center and Baptist Hospital in Miami. He has significant experience in the application of cellular immunity to Biotherapy applications.

Dr. Thornthwaite has served in the Department of Oncology, University of Miami Medical School; Departments of Biophysics and Anatomy, College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee; as Courtesy Professor in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Departments at Florida International University, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Pharmacology, University of Miami Medical School, Miami, Florida.

Dr. Thornthwaite has had over 60 technical articles and abstracts and has participated in numerous technical presentations.

Dr. Thornthwaite is widely recognized in several fields, with many contacts and colleagues, both nationally and internationally, maintaining continuing dialogues and an on-going shared information network.

Dr. Thornthwaite and his wife, Bonita, have two children, Andrea and Kyle. Currently they live in Henderson, Tennessee.